After traveling across the nation, the People’s Convoy arrived in Washington, DC (with stops for rallies along the way). The 1000-vehicle group is circling the beltway in protest of continuing covid restrictions.
The self-styled People’s Convoy, estimated to span 30 miles, left traffic in a standstill along the 64-mile Beltway after it departed from the Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland.Convoy organizer Brian Brase instructed the group to ‘hold the line’ before they embarked on their journey. They planned to circle the interstate twice, at the minimum speed limit, to slow traffic and get their message to lawmakers.’I beg of you to stay with the convoy. I beg of you to stay with the convoy and then come back down here, meet again and talk about our next plan,’ he cautioned.A group of semi-tractors led the convoy, followed by trucks with trailers, campers and then cars. According to DailyMail.com reporters trailing the group, traffic crawled for a while – traveling at speeds of about 10 to 20 miles per hour – and reached a ‘comfortable speed’ of travel, before causing a standstill on the entire beltway.
The event was essentially a slow-moving truck parade, completed with American flags.
On Sunday morning, many left in convoy to drive slow laps on the Beltway, a highway that encircles the city. They honked their horns as they set off, while onlookers waved American flags, according to a Reuters witness.The convoy, more than 2 miles long, was slowing traffic at points along the Beltway by late Sunday morning, but not bringing it to a standstill.The convoy’s protest against vaccine requirements and other pandemic restrictions has been undercut in recent weeks as major U.S. cities have rolled back mask mandates and other measures against COVID-19.
And while the disruptions were few for the weekend loops, Beltway travel may get more chaotic as more and slower loops are planned for the next week.
“It is an unpredictable and fluid event that we are witnessing,” said Christopher Rodriguez, director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “Our residents, commuters and visitors should expect traffic disruptions over the next several days.”The Department of Defense has agreed to extend the presence of the D.C. National Guard through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Rodriguez said D.C. police are working with Virginia and Maryland state police to monitor the situation.“While we respect everyone’s rights to come to the nation’s capital and exercise their first amendment rights, what we won’t tolerate are people who break our laws,” Rodriguez said.Convoy organizer Brian Brase has repeatedly said the People’s Convoy will not enter the District. Instead, the demonstrators, who have based themselves at the Hagerstown Speedway, plan to increase the number of trips around the Beltway each day to pressure lawmakers and public officials.
It is heartening to see there are no reports about entrapment activities. Let’s hope the protesters stay frosty.
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